CarTold

2019 vs. 2020 Ford Escape: What Changed

The 2020 Ford Escape has several substantial changes in the specifications and ratings we track compared with 2019.

A hybrid appears in the 2020 listing for the first time in this range.

EPA lists a 1.5-litre three-cylinder for 2020 that does not appear in the 2019 listing.

The 1.5-litre four-cylinder is listed for 2019 but not for 2020.

Part-time 4-wheel drive is listed for 2020 and not for 2019.

Three campaigns (equipment, power train and tires) cover the 2019 and not the 2020, while 23 campaigns (air bags, back over prevention, electrical system and others) cover the 2020 and not the 2019.

Fewer campaigns do not establish better reliability. Confirm each car's coverage and repair status by VIN.

The campaigns that separate them

Imported NHTSA recall campaigns that name one of these two model years but not the other, with their component labels. Campaigns covering both years are left out of this list.

Only the 2019

  • 21V155000 tires
  • 22V413000 power train
  • 26V011000 equipment

Only the 2020

  • 19V633000 seats
  • 20V415000 air bags
  • 20V550000 power train
  • 20V575000 back over prevention
  • 20V635000 electrical system
  • 21V011000 power train
  • 22V191000 engine and engine cooling
  • 22V331000 electrical system
  • 22V484000 engine and engine cooling
  • 22V859000 fuel system
  • 23V380000 engine
  • 24V330000 power train
  • 24V852000 equipment
  • 24V954000 electrical system
  • 25V165000 fuel system
  • 25V345000 engine
  • 25V442000 back over prevention
  • 25V467000 fuel system
  • 25V685000 equipment
  • 25V693000 service brakes
  • 25V829000 structure
  • 26V117000 visibility
  • 26V123000 back over prevention
A campaign may cover only part of a model year's production. Use the campaign number to ask an authorized dealer whether the car's VIN is included and what work remains. Our recall tool finds model-year campaigns; this guide explains the vehicle-specific check.

Side by side

2019 2020
Engines listed 1.5L 4-cyl, 2.0L 4-cyl, 2.5L 4-cyl 1.5L 3-cyl, 2.0L 4-cyl, 2.5L 4-cyl
Drive types All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive, Part-time 4-Wheel Drive
Fuel types Regular Gasoline Regular Gasoline
Combined MPG 23–26 26–41
Recall campaigns 3 23
Complaints on file 582 1810
Investigations 0 2
Complaint totals reflect different time on the road, sales and reporting. They cannot rank these years for reliability. The categories below identify symptoms to read about, not failure odds. How reporting time affects the comparison.

What owners reported, by system

2019

Engine 328 (56%)
Drivetrain 117 (20%)
Other 58 (10%)

2020

Other 1030 (57%)
Drivetrain 258 (14%)
Electrical 141 (8%)

Full reports

Open each year's report to read the recall, investigation, manufacturer communication and EPA variant records on file:

2019 Escape full report 2020 Escape full report Every Escape year compared

Sources and methodology